The first significant event in his career was the final of the Australian Open in 1999. At that moment, tennis became the meaning of my life. It was then that the path of 19 years began. A powerful start motivated powerful victories and a breakthrough in the ranking.
Davis Cup, national teams, Australian Open and 10th anniversary title in Valencia. And so I became the fifth Russian tennis player who managed to enter the top ten of the world ranking.
There were both ups and downs, but I confidently went to victories, despite the difficulties. All these years, HEAD was in my hands. We won these victories together. And regardless of the end of my professional career in 2018, I still give the guys in the classes my racket for practice strikes and see the same zeal as in my eyes 25 years ago.